This invention relates to apparatus for processing a reproduced video signal, and is particularly directed to an arrangement for playing back a video still picture from a video record medium on which the video picture is recorded as a single video field having a luminance component and first and second color difference signals in alternating line sequence.
There has recently been proposed a hand-held, video still picture camera employing a charged-coupled device (CCD) as a video imager to convert an image of a still-picture "snapshot" into a video signal. The camera also contains a rapidly rotating magnetic film video disc on which each "snapshot" taken by the camera is recorded as one field of a composite color video signal. Magnetic recording apparatus in the camera transfers, for each snapshot, the contents of the CCD imager to the magnetic disc as a circular record track containing the one video field.
Because of resolution limitations of the camera, especially in the CCD imager, only about 240 lines of video are produced for each video picture, rather than the 525 lines of the standard NTSC format or the 625 lines of the standard European formats. Consequently, only a single field containing about 240 lines of video information is recorded on the disc.
In order for an associated playback unit to play back the recorded signal and convert it into a standard format suitable to be displayed on the color CRT of a monitor or standard television receiver, it is desirable to form a second field whose lines are interpolated between corresponding successive lines of the one field that is recorded and played back.
However, in order to present a proper, interlaced standard-format signal, a delay of 0.5 horizontal line intervals must be inserted in the second video field. Also, because the color video signal recorded on the disc has color difference signals recorded in alternating line sequence, the color difference signals from successive lines must be combined in such a way as to provide a continuous chrominance signal and to satisfy the requirements for a standard video format, such as the NTSC format.